Six tips on how to develop good feedback practices

Some ideas on how to address issues with feedback and improve student satisfaction.

Student satisfaction with feedback is an ongoing issue at UCL and is often reflected in low satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey (NSS) and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).

Here are six ideas for addressing these issues and improving student satisfaction with feedback.

The ideas help students to develop a better understanding of academic standards and assessment processes.

1. Ensure students understand feedback and assessment standards
2. Ensure students get formative feedback early on in each module 
3. Use a template to standardise marking across the programme team 
4. Ensure marker feedback is of good quality 
5. Remember the feedback loop 
6. Discuss student progress and use of feedback in tutorials.

1. Ensure students understand feedback and assessment standards

Organise a guided marking session at the beginning of your module. See the Guided marking toolkit.

Explain to students the different forms that feedback can take on your programme, for example: 

• feedback on practice exercises in class
• answers to queries about coursework on a forum or in live Q&A sessions
• verbal feedback in tutorials
• feedback from clients on placements etc.

2. Ensure students get formative feedback early on in each module

Set a formative task in every module and give feedback in the first four weeks.

Set practice exercises in class (similar to part of the eventual coursework/exam) and give verbal feedback on answers/solutions.

3. Use a template to standardise marking across the programme team

An example template is available in the guide Using forms (proformas) for feedback.

4. Ensure marker feedback is of good quality

Use the Peer Dialogue Scheme to peer review markers’ feedback. Find out more in Chapter 9: Quality Review Framework of the Academic Manual (section 5).    

Form and share feedback rules with markers on modules/programmes. 

Where there are multiple markers, organise for everyone to mark and provide feedback on a small selection of scripts independently and then meet to compare and agree a style of feedback before marking. Markers can contribute to a shared bank of comments.

5. Remember the feedback loop

When providing feedback, indicate how your suggestion will help students improve future work.

6. Discuss student progress and use of feedback in tutorials 

Use My Feedback to track your tutees’ feedback.

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This guide has been produced by the UCL Arena Centre for Research-based Education. You are welcome to use this guide if you are from another educational facility, but you must credit the UCL Arena Centre.